Snacking and momentum

Psychologically it's easy for us to get out of the pattern of being active and into the pattern of being inactive. When we do that, we no longer 'see' ourselves as being an active person so we take the lifts, park as close as possible and sit down to watch TV.

Our bodies too, lose energy and forget how to be active so we sit and drive more. These tips below to ''exercise snacking'' reminds our brains and bodies that we are designed to move. Because we start to do little snacks here and there, we get into a pattern of movement. This slowly becomes normal and eventually our first reaction becomes to move, not sit.

Circuit Busters

The best way to rev up your fitness is to slip in simple cardio circuits of 5-30 minutes. Research shows that, if you are starting out, you can get the same benefit from doing three 10 minute cardio bursts in a day as doing one 30 minute session.

The Advert blast

Here's a 5 minute cardio blast to do during a TV ad:

• As soon as the first advert hits the screen, jump up and pump your hands up in air 10 times 
• then do 30 knee raises (alternate each leg, 15 on each) 
• 15 squats with your legs out wide 
• 10 lunges (5 on each leg. Step the leg out in a big step in front of you them back to standing for one rep) 
• repeat till the adverts stop 

The Quickie

Here's a 10 minute quickie to fit in when you're short on time:

Find a flight of stairs and

• Walk up and down 2 times smoothly and gently then, 
• At the bottom, do 30 Step Ups (step up on your right, bring your left up and step down). Lead with the right 15 times then the left then, 
• Walk up and down the stairs 2 times at a faster pace then, 
• At the bottom, place your right foot on top of the 2nd step. Keep your weight on the right foot and bring your left foot to touch the right then quickly back to the floor. Do 10 on each leg. 
• (you're working thighs, butt, abs, back and arms here)
• Finish with walking up and down 2 times smoothly and gently

The 'I'll only be stuck in traffic so I might as well get fit' blast (about 20 - 25 minutes) 

Here's a circuit that you'd spend big money to get in a gym, but to you, this week only, it's free! Do it with a friend. Pick your pace, start slow and build up if you feel like it.

• Find a park, car park or playground and start by powerwalking or jogging 3 laps
• Head for a bench and do 10 step ups on each leg
• Do 1 lap round at pace
• Back to the bench for 15 dips
• Do 1 lap at pace 
• At the bench do 15 press ups (flat, with your hands on the bench or feet on the bench for extra load)
• Do 1 lap at pace 
• Feet up on the bench for 20 crunches 
• 1 lap at pace 
• Last one! Find an overhanging bar or branch and try to crank out a chin up or 5 - Do 2 laps at pace getting faster as you go round till the 'sprint' finish

Don't stop, gently warm down by walking 3 - 5 laps till your breathing's back to normal (don't stop till it is)

Bad fats versus good fats

One of our challengers from The Healthy Lifestyle Challenge recently asked a health professional what the reasoning was behind why rice bran oil and canola oil shouldn't be used in cooking and eating.

The response?

The quick answer is that they have been damaged in the processing and refining process, and should be avoided.

For more information about good fats and bad fats visit www.frot.co.nz

Ideas for work lunches

Thinking about what to make for lunch during work can be tough. We've come up with a few suggestions.



Try 2 minute wraps

Get pita bread or Turkish bread, slap on some hummus, rip off some lettuce, grate on a bit of some parmesan or tasty cheese, roll up and wrap in foil or lunch paper.

For variations, cook extra potatoes and kumaras at dinner and mash onto the wrap with black pepper. Or put orange slices with kumara and sunflower seeds.

2 minutes to make, 5 minutes to eat - that's fast food!

Reaching for cakes?

You'll be looking for these because you're hungry. Not because you neeeed a muffin!

Eat an apple on the way to the cafe or have a glass of water. You'll get to the cake section without the hunger pang that drives cravings plus you'll save some fat in your day and about $20 in your week.

Get drowsy in the afternoons?

This is due to 2 major factors. Dehydration and low blood sugar. Sugar gives you a rush of energy but after it's gone you feel drowsy and sleepy. If you have been downing coffee and tea in the morning you'll be dehydrated too which makes you even sleepier.

To combat this;
• For every coffee have a glass of water
• Make your lunches salad and fruit based
• Throw in some mixed grain bread and good protein

Try
• Wholemeal crackers and fruit
• Crackers, humus and salad or
• 5 Grain bread open sandwiches (Bean sprouts, tomatoes, lettuce and tuna piled on top of 1 piece of wholemeal bread)

A meal like this feels lighter in your stomach, is full of water to keep you awake and empties nutrients into your blood stream slowly, so no sugar slump.

This week's shopping list

Here's this weeks shopping list for your work lunches that work for you not against you.

Lettuce
Go fancy, try the different types available, they all have different tastes and textures.

Carrots
Great lunch snacks, full of water, vitamins and better than chewing gum for cleaning teeth.

Tins of tuna
These come in flavours like basil and tomato, lemon and chilli. They are in small tins with peel back lids so you can fork it straight on to a cracker.

Tomatoes
Large, juicy and great for layering on crackers. Eat them as a fruit when they get sweet at Summer.

Bean sprouts
Cheap, full of nutrients and water and come in their own container.

Crackers
Buy big wholemeal crackers. Large enough to carry a decent amount of goodies and low on extra fat. Keep an eye on the salt content.

Wraps
Try Turkish breads, wholemeal pitas or wholemeal bagels

The benefits of water

Here's some facts you might not have known about water.



- One glass of water shuts down midnight hunger pangs

- Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue

- Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers

- A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen

- Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer

Are you drinking the amount of water you should every day?

Tips from a chiropractor, Jeremy Gilbert

Local chiro, Jeremy Gilbert of Lifestyle Chiropractic, visited us today and told us the importance of our nervous system in our health and wellbeing.



He left with us some tips for practising a healthy life:

- If you are sitting at your computer for longer then 30 minutes get up and stretch / move. Your head is about the weight of a bowling ball. Keep this in mind when sitting at the computer, ie head forward, stresses the neck and upper back.

- Same with driving - break the trip up with a stretch break. Great for keeping alert.

- Bending, twisting and lifting is the hardest strain you can put on your back. Be mindful when about to do this for long periods of time.

- It's usually the unforeseen / unpredictable activity that can catch you out. Eg lifting something small or twisting the wrong way.

- Sneezing, they move through your body at great speed and force. Don't block them at the nose, we sneeze to clear dust etc from sinuses. Better out than in!

- Have good posture, keep your spine straight when you can. Slouching is bad for the back and the nerves they look after.

- Easy chairs for longer than a few hours can take a toll on the back. Moving about can prevent back problems.

- Gardening, ie prolonged bending is hard work on the lower back. Straighten up every 20 minutes or so.

- When lifting, bend your knees, ''don't bend your back like a crane''. Get help if you can.

- If in doubt get your back checked out!

The importance of breakfast

If you're not used to eating breakfast, here's a few tips to help you potentially change a habit.



Why should you eat breakfast?

1. It's been 8 hours since you last ate so your body needs food. If you skip breakfast then at around 9:45am you get very hungry. The result? You head for the cafe and fill up on a muffin (which are actually small cakes), a slice or do a vending machine blitz. A quick snack hit but fat and sugar filled.

2. A good breakfast gives you the energy you need for a great day. It fills up your fuel tank so you can power through your day. You can then top up your tank with fruit, wholemeal breads and great protein like tuna, chicken and baked beans during the day.

3. It reduces stress. Having breakfast gets you to slow down just a bit and helps you ease into your day smoothly. Ever seen Mr. Bean get ready for work when he's late?!

4. If you're not seeing too much of your wife, husband or partner, then having breakfast together gives you some extra time!

If you don't like eating breakfast in the morning, try these simple tips:

- Have fruit like bananas, oranges and apples. Go for the slightly green bananas ones, they are less sweet
- Orange slices and a pot of yoghurt. Get fresh juice, a vitamin C hit and calcium in one go
- Make a smoothie. In a blender put yogurt, banana and any other healthy goodies you want. No blender? Just beat it all with a fork. Put in a thermo mug and drink on your way to work
- Toasted wholemeal bread. Put hummus and sliced tomatoes on top rather than sweet spreads
- Fruit salad, bircher muesli, wholemeal toast with sliced tomato

If you've got a big day ahead and you know you won't have time to eat properly then go for:
- Porridge. Make your own or buy microwave porridge. Done in the microwave in 5 minutes. To really stack the odds in your favour, throw on chopped nuts, linseed and fresh fruit.
- Bircher style Muesli. Very good for your insides!

No time in the morning? Then eat breakfast at work. Keep a supply of microwave porridge or cereal and a bowl of fruit in your office. While your PC is coming to life, heat up your porridge and slice up your banana.

Having breakfast stops you snacking on high fat and high sugar foods later in the day. It's a very simple way to lose weight plus you'll eat more fruit, more fibre and be less stressed - and that's all good!

This info is from the Cancer Society's LiveSmart website

Foods that stress

We recently came across this article and thought it was relevant to some of the information Ben Warren has been talking about. Happy reading everyone!

How to deal with caffeine withdrawals

We've heard a few reports of headaches occurring after the first week of the healthy lifestyle challenge.



One possible cause could be the result of withdrawal from caffeine.

Caffeine headaches can go on for days and the only relief is – you guessed it – more caffeine. Light is suddenly too bright to bear, concentration is impossible, and all one wants is relief. Many people reach for some over-the-counter drug but whoops! They all contain caffeine.

So why do we get a headache when we skip our morning cuppa joe? Caffeine acts as a powerful vasoconstrictor in the brain. That is, it constricts blood vessels in the brain and decreases circulation. Oxygen to the brain can be decreased up to 30%! When caffeine is not present, the sudden increased circulation causes major headaches.

Of course, a well-oxygenated brain is what we want for optimal health. You can avoid caffeine withdrawal headaches by slowly weaning yourself off of caffeine.

You’ll need some rest

Often the headaches are accompanied by more caffeine withdrawal symptoms. Fatigue is the next most common experience people have quitting caffeine. If you’ve been depending on caffeine to keep you going day after day, your body is going to need some rest. Think of your adrenal glands as exhausted horses that have been whipped way too long. Take away the whip and they want to lie down in their tracks! Make time to get some rest especially in the beginning of weaning off of caffeine.

Waking up is possible without caffeine

Since caffeine artificially increases cortisol production, the hormone that makes you wake up in the morning, people going through caffeine withdrawal can experience a hard time waking up without coffee as a stimulant. Once your adrenal glands have readjusted to their natural rhythm of producing cortisol in the morning without a stimulant, you won’t need a cup of coffee to wake you up.

Get some help from supplements

Decreased alertness, brain fogginess, inability to concentrate and feelings of decreased well-being including irritability and depression are frequently experienced during caffeine withdrawal. Don’t worry, there are herbal and nutritional supplements that can aid your recovery and make the transition easier.

Some people report feeling flu-like symptoms, muscle pain and even vomiting. That’s why we don’t recommend going cold-turkey! We’ve seen too many people suffer needlessly when they trying caffeine withdrawal suddenly.

It will be easier than you think

While this caffeine withdrawal phenomenon keeps millions of people addicted to their coffee habit, the good news is that you can avoid this pitfall by slowly weaning yourself off caffeine over a two to three week period. Many former coffee drinkers report that they can’t believe how much energy they have once they recover from the caffeine-driven roller coaster ride!

How to combat snacking infront of the TV

Stop for a second and consider how much snacking goes on in front of the TV.



The average New Zealander spends 2-3 hours a night watching TV. That's about 8 ad breaks an hour for a total of 15-25 ad breaks a night. And, what happens when the ads come on? We head for the fridge just to ''see what's inside''.

So here's the TV snack attack plan; it'll help you manage the TV so you can manage your weight and be healthier.

Option 1:

Let's get to the source. If it's not there, you can't eat it! Do a pantry and fridge clear out. Find all the really high fat foods lurking in there, and if they are unopened, donate them to a local food collection bin. Except the ice cream of course - that'll have to go down the drain.

Replace big packets of treat foods with smaller packages. Ignore the 'value deals'. Paying $5 for 3 packets of chocolate biscuits doesn't make them last any longer, does it?! Go low fat and sugar. Buy lower fat and sugar substitutes if you feel like a treats.

Option 2:

Tame the TV. If you watch less TV, there will be fewer adverts to tempt you to the fridge.

The Ultimate - ditch the TV. Go cold turkey and learn to read again, talk to your husband, wife, partner, flatmate or neighbour (anyone who'll listen!), pat your pet, play with friends, get out more.

Hide it.
• Take your TV out of the lounge
• Pick one programme a night to watch then turn it off
• Remember 'Carless Days'? Have 'TV Free nights'

Change your TV habit

• Cut back on junk TV - do you really care who survives/marries/wins/outlasts each other?
• In between your favourite programmes, turn the TV off
• Have a list of things to do when the TV goes off
• Stack books and magazines next to your TV to distract you

If you're planning to hire a video, grab it during the day. There will be a better selection and you'll be less likely to grab chocolate and ice cream to go with the movie.

Aim to try 1 or 2 items from each option. You'll have more time, spend less snacking, still enjoy your favourite TV programmes and you might even find you sleep better. I know I do. Next week we'll look at 3 ways to fit in a great breakfast - a major strategy for stacking the odds in your favour.

Eight major principles for a healthy life

What's secret to a healthy life? We've got eight tips that'll be sure to make you look and feel better. These were written by a 75-year old Wellington Osteopath who looks in his 50s.



1. Air. Are you breathing in plenty of fresh air? Do you take a good deep lungful occasionally, or are you one of those shallow breathers I encounter in my clinic? Pure, clean fresh air is rich in "negative ions" which will help to purify your blood, boost your immune system, reduce blood pressure, improve your mood, build stamina and do so much more. It's so good and you will fee major benefits from this pure fresh pill several times daily. Try a slow deep breath from time to time, you will be amazed at how quick you can achieve a "mini rejuvenation" You feel almost "dizzy" when you take three deep inspirations, this is due to the increased oxygen to the brain. Now imagine the benefits to your brain if you breathe...deeply and regularly.

2. Water. Yes, you know the your body is made up primarily from this water, over 70% of your body in fact is water. But how many of you know the basics to good health? Do coffee, tea and wine account for water? No, they only serve to dehydrate the body. Drink more and feel better - try it, you might like it. Your brain certainly will... when it is sufficiently hydrated.

3. Balanced Nutrition. Fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, complex carbohydrates (whole grains), essential amino acids (lean meats), vitamins and minerals (health foods in general. Eat smaller meals more frequently will be found to have many benefits over three meals, especially if you are active. Again, basic is best, try not to complicate your meals, your digestion works best with a small selection of top quality organic foods. Eat junk and you will feel like it ...one day.

4. Lymphasising and Exercise. Your lymphatic system is a system of vessels connected up throughout your body, carrying important immune cells throughout the system. Lymph nodes are the filtration stations. Deep breathing and vigourous exercise (especially tramping, swimming, cycling, deep tissue massage and using a rebounder - mini trampoline) all help to stimulate and increase your immune system's activity. Those who engage in regular vigourous activity can tell you just how good it feels. What they don't tell you is that they rarely if ever get sick, because their immune system is working at peak efficiency. How does that sound? The benefits are too numerous to mention. You don't need to work too hard either, just regular daily exercise with occasional bursts of higher intensity output is all it takes. This is called interval exercise and has been found to confer amazingly more benefits over just plain old exercising. Try it, you might just like it. Move it or lose it ....eventually.

5. Rest. Do you take any mini breathers throughout your day, or do you just go like a hurricane from morning to lunch, take a short break, and then fly through your afternoon? Try a mini nap around 3.00, you when you hit a low spot. By taking regular breaks (away from computers, phones, etc) you will automatically reduce your stress load, resulting in a more relaxed you. People tend to like those who are the most relaxed, because it helps them to feel relaxed. It's a win win situation. If you try this, I know you will like it...because others will.

6. Sunlight. Do you try to catch the sun's rays when you can, or are you scared you will end up with melanoma because the TV tells you so? Never fear the sun, just respect it and try to get a few minutes here and there in the sunlight. Research has found that people who get regular morning sun tend to sleep better and deeper, are less irritable and have very little mood issues. People who live near the sun tend to be less gloomy than those who near the poles - a fact.

7. PMA (positive mental attitude). A positive mind is a happy mind. Negativity is a condition that will keep you in a state of unwellness, and has no place if you are looking for a healthy and happy life. Love, contentment, happiness and laughter are all positive and highly encouraged if you want and long and healthy life. Do you smell the roses or look for the cacti in your life? Negative people love negativity, positive people love positivity...what do you love?

8. A Purpose in Your Life. Do you wake up each day looking forward to what each day has to offer, or is each day just drudgery? Happy and healthy people know that a great life comes about when you live for the moment and enjoy the small things rather than defer happiness until the kids grow up or when I "win Lotto", etc. Do you have a reason to get up each day? Having a purpose in life to me personally means making a difference in other people's lives. What's your purpose, have you set any short and long term goals...in your life?